


Moments Like Stardust

by Zaniida



Series: Five Moments of Intimacy (Alt Fandoms) [1]
Category: Star Trek
Genre: ASMR, FMI, FMNI, Five Moments of (Nonsexual) Intimacy, Gen, One Per Series, Pagefic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 04:04:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19054861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaniida/pseuds/Zaniida
Summary: For each of the fiveStar Trekseries, one intimate moment between two characters, with a focus on the "fish out of water" characters (Spock, Data, Odo, the Doc, etc.) interacting with a character who receives less focus or is in some way socially awkward/inept.





	Moments Like Stardust

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Touch of Trust](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11201322) by [DisposalUnit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisposalUnit/pseuds/DisposalUnit). 



> Confession: I haven't watched much of _Enterprise_. My dad liked it; I watched a few episodes, got busy with other things. Got somewhat annoyed by the stuff I watched. (Was later glad that I hadn't gotten invested in a show where the actors themselves thought it was brave and daring to deliberately commit genocide and gloat about it, but that's another story. Honestly, I got turned off by the fact that the theme song had _lyrics_.)
> 
> So if the _Enterprise_ piece is a bit off-spec, well, I barely got to know the characters, and had to rely on my beta reader spotting any glaring inconsistencies. Still, the scenario is easy enough, so I hope I haven't gone too wrong with this first installment.
> 
> At any rate, this is yet another _Five Moments of Intimacy_ fic, demonstrating the five categories in yet another fandom. I intend to keep filling out this format until I'm satisfied that other people are making use of it, and so far only two people have, so... yeah, more to come.
> 
> Basically, though, I wanted to post something today (well, technically, I wanted to post something _yesterday_ ), and it didn't come together fast enough, and I got frustrated, and so I decided to dig through my unfinished projects to find a piece that was ready to post, and I remembered that I'd finished this chapter pretty early before I got distracted by other things, so there you have it.

Physical contact is not foreign to her. Yes, she’s solitary, grew up connecting with words instead of bodies, but she’s also proficient in Aikido and used to medical exams. Once broke her commanding officer’s arm; it’s part of the reason that she’s put time and attention and study into learning how to touch other people in a way that, by now, feels pretty natural to her.

Still, every now and then, an unexpected touch startles her, in a way she can’t fully explain.

It’s a sensation she doesn’t share with people, because it seems… odd, one more way in which she doesn’t fit in. More than that, though, it’s perhaps the only area of her life where human language _utterly fails to communicate_. Maybe part of what drives her to learn languages, as many as possible, is that she’s still hoping, somehow, to run across a term for her experience.

The first time she’d tried to express it—age nine—she’d gotten her first lecture on human sexuality. Only the feeling isn’t _sexual_ ; by now, she’s _had_ sex a few times, and this… it’s non-comparable. Apples and echidnas.

The second time, age thirteen, her then-girlfriend declared that she was “weird,” and refused to play with her hair anymore. Made her feel dirty for wanting it. The friendship didn’t last long after that.

She’s kept it to herself, ever since.

Today, as Phlox’s fingers brush her face, preparing the modifications so that she’ll be able to blend in on the planet, she feels it again: the swell and crest of her body responding to the kind of unpredictable physical contact she so rarely gets to experience nowadays. A sudden feeling like static buildup, only not quite; like the hairs rising on the back of your neck when a piece of music gets everything _right_. The uncontrolled shiver of electrical impulses shooting straight down her spine in waves, only it’s nothing like pain. Quite the opposite.

She’s almost surprised that he notices. “Am I making you uncomfortable, Ensign?”

Hesitating, she wonders if Denobulans experience anything comparable. In a culture where touch is primarily sexual, probably not? “Not exactly.”

“I’m afraid I’m still not clear on the boundaries of human touch. As a species, we’re far less… tactile. At least, when we’re not—”

“Right,” she blurts, trying to keep her head still. “It’s nothing. Go on with what you were doing.”

He frowns, briefly, but doesn’t question it. Probably thinks it’s another human quirk that he’ll eventually pick up on.

As he gets back to work, his hands on her face trigger pleasant tingles along her scalp, spreading out along her shoulders, and she finds herself drifting through the sensation—a few precious moments of calming delight, of profound relaxation.

**Author's Note:**

>  **News!**  
>  So... argh. I had hoped to complete a Zoe fic last month (since May is Zoe Morgan month!), but that totally didn't work out (though I did at least get it partially written). So much for a new POI fic to post. I've been working on the next installment of _Mirror_ , but I'm still only partway through the chapter, and the weight of unfinished projects is not exactly making it easier to concentrate on any of them.
> 
> Nor is being sick, though I hope that won't last too much longer. (When I turn or tilt my head, it puts a little pressure on my throat and makes it feel weirdly closed off, which is _just a bit freaky_ while I'm in the middle of writing about [a guy whose trachea got crushed](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18847450).)
> 
> Anyway, like I said, had hoped to get something POI up soon, as my POI fans have been waiting for a while, but it looks like that'll be a while longer yet. So for any of you who are reading this: I haven't forgotten my POI projects! Loki's just taking precedence right now, and the Muse has backed off just enough to allow me to also work on the next update for most-voted request ( _Mirror_ ), so I hope to get that up before _too_ long. Juggling projects!
> 
> As far as this specific piece, it'll likely be a while before I update it, as I have the idea in place and a bit of brainstorming, but not even a rough draft for the other chapters. I'm looking forward to writing the exchange between Data and Guinan ^_^
> 
> P.S. Tiny Box Tim Day is June 28th! It's a good month to contribute to your favorite charitable cause.


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